Easy Money Saving Tips for Moms

Saving money when you’re a mom and trying to raise a family is tough! We know you want the best for your family and that often money is tight. Fortunately, we’ve put together several easy, money saving tips for moms (and really anyone who wants to save a bit more) that are perfect for any time of year, any size family and every budget.

Eat in More

The average American eats out for lunch at least twice a week, with men spending about 44-percent more than women on lunch, reports Forbes. One of the quickest and easiest ways to trim a spending budget is to opt to eat in more often, especially at lunch. Bring a lunch to work Monday through Thursday and then treat yourself to lunch out on Friday. If you average $10 a day when eating out, that saves $40 a week and $2,080 for 52 weeks or one year.

Coupons Really Work

Did we just hear a collective groan? Yes, we know, coupon clipping seems like something that our parents and grandparents did, but they were on to something. Coupons can save money on everything from your kids’ favorite yogurt to laundry detergent and milk. You don’t have to rely solely on coupon adverts from the Sunday paper (although those are a great resource.) There are many easy-to-use coupon sites online that allow you to add the coupon to your smartphone or print out a paper version via your home printer. Check out sites like Money Saving Mom and CouponMom.com.

Beyond Coupons

Chances are your favorite retail or grocery store has its own loyalty card. It may seem like a pain to carry these cards in your purse all the time, but they can help save money on the things you buy regularly and it doesn’t take a lot of effort on your part — simply swipe the card at the checkout. Some grocery stores offer points that can be used as cents off for gas (which adds up to huge savings when you end up with 80-cents off a gallon!) or points used for cash off your total bill. Others offer discounts on items you buy regularly, things like milk, cheese, paper products and even meat. Often you can combine retail coupons plus ad sales and your loyalty card discounts to maximize your savings.

Change Collection

Raise your hand if there is a handful of change hanging around at the bottom of your purse. Right? Make it a habit to clear out the loose change from your purse, pockets and car at least once a week. Start a change collection in a large clear container. You will be amazed at how quickly it collects and how it adds up! Get the whole family involved. Maybe your family wants to save for a special movie and pizza night. Write that on the container so everyone knows the reward for saving. Maybe it’s a larger goal, like a vacation fund. You can do it!

Rely on DIY

There are many easy DIY items that can help save money and many offer eco-friendly solutions to cleaning and more. A large box of baking soda often costs less than $2 and can be used for many different applications around the home instead of spending money on high-price, chemical-laden cleaning products. Sprinkle baking soda into the garbage disposal to freshen it and use baking soda to scrub your stainless steel or ceramic sinks. Baking soda combined with distilled white vinegar removes stains from ceramic sinks and countertops as well.